Not too many people think of Haiti as a modern tourist destination.
The Caribbean nation is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere -- with a history of grinding poverty, civil unrest and violence. Haiti is also still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake that left well over 100,000 dead and more than 1.5 million survivors homeless.
But 2014 has seen a blossoming of tourist industry investment in Haiti. Just this week Carnival Corporation (CCL), the parent company of Carnival Cruise lines, said it signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a $70 million port facility on Tortuga, an historic island off Haiti's northern coast.
The port project "represents a major commitment to the people of Haiti by Carnival Corporation -- the largest cruise company in the world, with nine industry-leading brands and dozens of ships operating in the Caribbean, the world's most popular region for cruise vacations," David Candib, the company's vice president, development and operations, told the Caribbean Journal.
Candib added the facility would generate "significant development and construction activities," with the creation of an estimated 900 direct and indirect jobs.
"The project will be an anchor for further development on the island," he continued. "We are working together with the Haitian people and government to build Tortuga into popular and economically sustainable Caribbean destinations."
The Carnival project would create the second major cruise ship port in Haiti. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) has had a private resort facility in Labadee, on the country's northern coast, that it leased from the Haitian government until 2050.
Meanwhile, American Airlines (AAL) recently announced the start of daily service between Miami International Airport and Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second city, beginning in October.
"This is a big deal," said Art Torno, American's senior vice president of operations for Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America, told the Miami Herald. "That area of the country has about 35 percent of the population, and has always been a desirable place for us."
Torno notes the Cap-Haitien region also includes Labadee as well as a $300 million, U.S.-backed industrial park project.
And this past April Hilton Worldwide (HLT) signed an agreement to build a new Hilton Garden Inn at Louverture Airport in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2016.
Tourism reportedly accounts for about five percent of Haiti's GDP, and those numbers are expected to change dramatically in the next several years.
But not everyone is convinced the Carnival port deal will, in the long-term, end up benefiting Haiti's economy and its people.
Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime attorney and author of the cruiselaw.com blog, recently wondered if any Haitians will be employed at the new facility -- and if the construction of a pier designed to accommodate large cruise ships will lead to long-term environmental damage.
Also, he added, "will this be a private island for the exclusive benefit of Carnival and its passengers? Will this be a lease similar to the 260 acres of prime waterfront property (Labadee) which Royal Caribbean leased (ripped off) from Haiti?"
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/haiti-looks-to-welcome-back-tourists/
mercredi 6 août 2014
Immigrants Lift Chile’s Labor Market While Wages Kept Low
By Javiera Quiroga Aug 6, 2014 6:01 AM GMT+0200
Chile immigration vs workforce growth
Haitian immigrant Jameson Lazarre says he sometimes works shifts as long as 24 hours at the warehouse of a plastics factory because his temporary visa inChile depends on keeping an employment contract. “I spent so much time looking for a job in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, that I am willing to do whatever here as long as I remain employed,” Lazarre said while standing in Santiago’s central square. Lazarre was one of a record 158,128 foreigners who obtained temporary or permanent residency in this country of 17 million last year, according to the Immigration Department. The influx helped Latin America’s wealthiest nation create almost 1 million jobs in the four years through March, while keeping a lid on wages. The new arrivals accounted for about three quarters of the increase in Chile’s workforce in 2013, when the jobless rate fell as low as 5.7 percent.
Now the economy is expanding at the slowest pace in four years and unemployment has started to rise. With more people likely to continue arriving, wage increases should slow from 6.5 percent in May, easing pressure on inflation that fell to 4.3 percent in June.
Immigration has “contained wage growth, one of the most important costs of production, avoiding a rise in consumer prices,” said Hermann Gonzalez, an economist in the local unit of Spain´s Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA.
Unequal Conditions
Lazarre, 24, abandoned an agronomy course in Haiti after a year because he didn’t have the money to complete his studies. He chose to come to Chile last year after trawling the Internet to see which countries offered the best prospects. What he didn´t know is that he would get paid half as much as Chileans doing the same job and that he often would be paid late.
“Employers take advantage of foreigners because they know we depend on two years of uninterrupted work at a company in order to apply for permanent residency,” Lazarre said.
Chile’s main labor union federation, known as CUT for its initials in Spanish, welcomes the arrival of foreigners, as long as they don’t undercut local workers and don’t represent more than 15 percent of any one company’s workforce, as stipulated in the law.
“We are not against their arrival if they are given the exact same conditions and benefits as Chilean workers,” said Jose Figueroa, who represents farm laborers and indigenous peoples at CUT. “The problem is that some businessmen pay them much lower salaries than established in Chilean legislation and we won’t accept that.”
Economic Boom The flow of people into Chile helped the economy grow an average 5.1 percent in the four years through 2013 as an investment boom in the mining industry pushed unemployment down from 9.7 percent at the end of the 2009.
The boom fed a 24 percent jump inimmigration last year, with Chile attracting workers from countries such asPeru and Colombia and to a lesser extent, Spain and Argentina. Of the arrivals, only 20,758 were 18 or younger.
About three quarters of new arrivals are Latin American and are linguistically, culturally and religiously similar to the Chileans. Peruvians accounted for 31 percent of last year’s immigrants. Peruvian restaurants have opened up across Santiago, with Peruvian maids replacing many of their Chilean counterparts over the past decade. Haitians have become a common sight in a country where there was almost no black population 20 years ago.
Following Jobs
The influx accounted for much of the 183,240 increase in the labor force in 2013 as Chile’s birthrate declined and more young people chose to stay on in university or training.
“The vast majority of foreigners come here to work, especially in the construction and services sectors,” said Pedro Hernandez, immigration official at the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
While Chile has seen previous waves of immigrants, including Germans starting in the 1850s, Arab Christians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and Croatians before the 1920s, it has never experienced the same levels of immigration as Argentina or Brazil.
The Immigration Department estimates there are 441,000 foreigners living in Chile legally, accounting for about 2.7 percent of the population. That is the highest level since 1920 and compares with 1.22 percent in 2002.
Cristian Hernandez, 48, gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to peel potatoes, beetroot and carrots in the Santiago neighborhood of Cerro Navia. His hands are full of cuts from the work. No Guess
The government doesn’t even hazard a guess at how many undocumented immigrants like Hernandez there are in Chile.
“I am obliged to put up with the conditions employers set,” said Hernandez, who was a bartender in the Dominican Republic before arriving in Chile about two years ago. “I am willing to do whatever in order to survive.” Now, the economy is slowing, unemployment is rising and the flow of immigrants could turn into a problem, economist Gonzalez said. The jobless rate climbed to 6.5 percent in the three months through June from 6.2 percent in the same period a year earlier. “As the creation of jobs stagnates and there is even a decline in positions, people are starting to get fired,” Gonzalez said. “The question is who will go.” BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) announced July 29 that it would reduce staff by 6 percent at its Pampa Norte copper mine in Chile because of declining ore grades and rising costs. The number of people employed in the mining industry fell 8.5 percent to 236,020 in the year through June. Slower Pace
As the mining boom petered out, GDP expanded 2.6 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the slowest pace in four years. Manufacturing (CHIPMFGY) has declined in eight of the past 12 months, and retail sales rose 2.3 percent in June, the second-slowest pace since 2009.
Still, immigration is not a concern, Economy Minister Luis Felipe Cespedes said in an interview on July 22. “It is a natural process in a nation that is growing and that is attracting people due to its economic dynamism.”
The flow of immigrants would slow as economic growth eases, he added.
Past experience doesn’t bear that out. When the economy contracted 1.5 percent in 2009, new arrivals rose to 100,069 from 84,249 the year before. Immigration then slid to 81,002 in 2010 before rebounding to 95,130 in 2011. There are no figures available on how many people are leaving the country.
Madsen Macelus -- who came from Haiti in 2010 and has worked on various construction sites since then -- has managed to bring over his wife, son and cousin as he applies for a permanent visa.
Pay Better Many other immigrants plan to have family members and friends join them, even though they recognize finding jobs has become harder as the economy slows. The pay, they say, is still better in Chile.
Chile’s GDP (CLGDPNA%) per capita on a purchasing power parity basis is $19,888, compared with $11,730 in Colombia, $11,735 in Peru and $1,370 in Haiti, according to the International Monetary Fund. “There is no work in Haiti, and Chile is an easy country to get into,” said Macelus, 39, who has no plans to return to his home nation.
For now, there is no serious blacklash against foreigners. While there was an anti-immigrant march in October in Antofagasta in northern Chile where many Colombians have settled, there have been no protests in Santiago where most foreigners live.
Still, there will be increasing competition for jobs as foreigners represent a larger share of workers entering the labor market.
“When I arrived only eight months ago it was easy getting a job, but now there are so many foreigners that it takes time,” said Lazarre. “There are loads of jobless immigrants.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Javiera Quiroga in Santiago atjquiroga5@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Philip Sanders atpsanders@bloomberg.net;
Andre Soliani at asoliani@bloomberg.net Gail DeGeorge
Chile immigration vs workforce growth
Haitian immigrant Jameson Lazarre says he sometimes works shifts as long as 24 hours at the warehouse of a plastics factory because his temporary visa inChile depends on keeping an employment contract. “I spent so much time looking for a job in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, that I am willing to do whatever here as long as I remain employed,” Lazarre said while standing in Santiago’s central square. Lazarre was one of a record 158,128 foreigners who obtained temporary or permanent residency in this country of 17 million last year, according to the Immigration Department. The influx helped Latin America’s wealthiest nation create almost 1 million jobs in the four years through March, while keeping a lid on wages. The new arrivals accounted for about three quarters of the increase in Chile’s workforce in 2013, when the jobless rate fell as low as 5.7 percent.
Now the economy is expanding at the slowest pace in four years and unemployment has started to rise. With more people likely to continue arriving, wage increases should slow from 6.5 percent in May, easing pressure on inflation that fell to 4.3 percent in June.
Immigration has “contained wage growth, one of the most important costs of production, avoiding a rise in consumer prices,” said Hermann Gonzalez, an economist in the local unit of Spain´s Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA.
Unequal Conditions
Lazarre, 24, abandoned an agronomy course in Haiti after a year because he didn’t have the money to complete his studies. He chose to come to Chile last year after trawling the Internet to see which countries offered the best prospects. What he didn´t know is that he would get paid half as much as Chileans doing the same job and that he often would be paid late.
“Employers take advantage of foreigners because they know we depend on two years of uninterrupted work at a company in order to apply for permanent residency,” Lazarre said.
Chile’s main labor union federation, known as CUT for its initials in Spanish, welcomes the arrival of foreigners, as long as they don’t undercut local workers and don’t represent more than 15 percent of any one company’s workforce, as stipulated in the law.
“We are not against their arrival if they are given the exact same conditions and benefits as Chilean workers,” said Jose Figueroa, who represents farm laborers and indigenous peoples at CUT. “The problem is that some businessmen pay them much lower salaries than established in Chilean legislation and we won’t accept that.”
Economic Boom The flow of people into Chile helped the economy grow an average 5.1 percent in the four years through 2013 as an investment boom in the mining industry pushed unemployment down from 9.7 percent at the end of the 2009.
The boom fed a 24 percent jump inimmigration last year, with Chile attracting workers from countries such asPeru and Colombia and to a lesser extent, Spain and Argentina. Of the arrivals, only 20,758 were 18 or younger.
About three quarters of new arrivals are Latin American and are linguistically, culturally and religiously similar to the Chileans. Peruvians accounted for 31 percent of last year’s immigrants. Peruvian restaurants have opened up across Santiago, with Peruvian maids replacing many of their Chilean counterparts over the past decade. Haitians have become a common sight in a country where there was almost no black population 20 years ago.
Following Jobs
The influx accounted for much of the 183,240 increase in the labor force in 2013 as Chile’s birthrate declined and more young people chose to stay on in university or training.
“The vast majority of foreigners come here to work, especially in the construction and services sectors,” said Pedro Hernandez, immigration official at the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
While Chile has seen previous waves of immigrants, including Germans starting in the 1850s, Arab Christians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and Croatians before the 1920s, it has never experienced the same levels of immigration as Argentina or Brazil.
The Immigration Department estimates there are 441,000 foreigners living in Chile legally, accounting for about 2.7 percent of the population. That is the highest level since 1920 and compares with 1.22 percent in 2002.
Cristian Hernandez, 48, gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to peel potatoes, beetroot and carrots in the Santiago neighborhood of Cerro Navia. His hands are full of cuts from the work. No Guess
The government doesn’t even hazard a guess at how many undocumented immigrants like Hernandez there are in Chile.
“I am obliged to put up with the conditions employers set,” said Hernandez, who was a bartender in the Dominican Republic before arriving in Chile about two years ago. “I am willing to do whatever in order to survive.” Now, the economy is slowing, unemployment is rising and the flow of immigrants could turn into a problem, economist Gonzalez said. The jobless rate climbed to 6.5 percent in the three months through June from 6.2 percent in the same period a year earlier. “As the creation of jobs stagnates and there is even a decline in positions, people are starting to get fired,” Gonzalez said. “The question is who will go.” BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) announced July 29 that it would reduce staff by 6 percent at its Pampa Norte copper mine in Chile because of declining ore grades and rising costs. The number of people employed in the mining industry fell 8.5 percent to 236,020 in the year through June. Slower Pace
As the mining boom petered out, GDP expanded 2.6 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the slowest pace in four years. Manufacturing (CHIPMFGY) has declined in eight of the past 12 months, and retail sales rose 2.3 percent in June, the second-slowest pace since 2009.
Still, immigration is not a concern, Economy Minister Luis Felipe Cespedes said in an interview on July 22. “It is a natural process in a nation that is growing and that is attracting people due to its economic dynamism.”
The flow of immigrants would slow as economic growth eases, he added.
Past experience doesn’t bear that out. When the economy contracted 1.5 percent in 2009, new arrivals rose to 100,069 from 84,249 the year before. Immigration then slid to 81,002 in 2010 before rebounding to 95,130 in 2011. There are no figures available on how many people are leaving the country.
Madsen Macelus -- who came from Haiti in 2010 and has worked on various construction sites since then -- has managed to bring over his wife, son and cousin as he applies for a permanent visa.
Pay Better Many other immigrants plan to have family members and friends join them, even though they recognize finding jobs has become harder as the economy slows. The pay, they say, is still better in Chile.
Chile’s GDP (CLGDPNA%) per capita on a purchasing power parity basis is $19,888, compared with $11,730 in Colombia, $11,735 in Peru and $1,370 in Haiti, according to the International Monetary Fund. “There is no work in Haiti, and Chile is an easy country to get into,” said Macelus, 39, who has no plans to return to his home nation.
For now, there is no serious blacklash against foreigners. While there was an anti-immigrant march in October in Antofagasta in northern Chile where many Colombians have settled, there have been no protests in Santiago where most foreigners live.
Still, there will be increasing competition for jobs as foreigners represent a larger share of workers entering the labor market.
“When I arrived only eight months ago it was easy getting a job, but now there are so many foreigners that it takes time,” said Lazarre. “There are loads of jobless immigrants.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Javiera Quiroga in Santiago atjquiroga5@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Philip Sanders atpsanders@bloomberg.net;
Andre Soliani at asoliani@bloomberg.net Gail DeGeorge
Local Boy Helps Build Haiti House
A local child has a dream of building a house. Cohen Heady, a seven-year-old who will be starting second grade at Eisenhower Elementary School this year, has been working on a project for nearly a year to build a house for a family in Haiti.“My family has another family in Haiti that are near and dear to our hearts, the Alexis family,” says Sabrina Heady, Cohen’s mother. “My brother’s family has been able to give them some rice, my mom has given some of her clothes for Rosemaide, the mom in Haiti. My kids have drawn them pictures.”
Sabrina is president of a local organization called Haiti Hungry No More. The group offers aid to needy families in Haiti.
“A couple of months ago we had an amazing sermon from our pastor, Tim, that talked the importance of giving,” Heady wrote on her Facebook wall in January. “This has spawned a reaction you could not believe, especially in Cohen. That Sunday we talked so much about different kinds of needs people have, whether it is food, heat, a home, using various examples. We didn’t realize the impact it was impressing on Cohen. The next day he came home, six years old, and ready to take on the world.”
The next day, Cohen drew a picture in school and wrote a note. “He wants to build the Alexis family a home,” wrote Heady.The Alexis family are currently renting a home in Haiti, and 13 family members reside there. “It is a one bedroom style with curtains hanging up here and there to make a couple of more ‘rooms,’” Heady wrote.
Heady made copies of Cohen’s picture and note, and wrote a letter of her own. These copies were distributed around the Heady’s neighborhood.
“The response has been overwhelming,” says Heady. “To hear Cohen screaming with pride as he opened his first donation letter (of many) from his kindergarten teacher, is something I will never forget. He has been filled with this passion I’ve never seen him have before.”
The Heady family has raised over $3,000 for the Alexis family’s new home. The Alexises started building their new home in February, but Heady says they still need approximately $7,000 more to complete it.
Heady says she’s not asking for donations. She simply wanted to share her son’s story. However, knowing that some of our philanthropic readers may want to help out, I’ve asked Heady to give instructions on how to donate to Cohen’s project. That information will be added once it is provided.
mardi 5 août 2014
Polo: Haiti raises first Championship Trophy in History
 |
| Secretary of State for Tourism, Jessie Diaz, with Team Haiti [Reed Davis] |
SAN FRANCISCO, USA (sentinel.ht) - In the 1920's and 30's, Haiti was known for holding, and having the best in its territory for polo matches. Providing the ideal tropical climate, a friendly native population welcome travelers from all over the world, who docked in its ports to enjoy the best foods, culture, entertainment and sport.
But in these times, since these times, Haiti had never fielded a national team of its own. It was a game described as "the sport of kings", a nation born of slaves who revolted, it seemed implausible to play... but as we know through Haitian history, in the heart of the enslaved can be the heart of a king, that can become king.It is yet still remarkable that the history-making participation of the first Haitian team, in an official international tournament (USPA, et al recognized), would perform so well and in the end, hold up the championship trophy.
Box score results
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
United States 0 1 0 1 2
Haiti 1 2 2 1 6
Team Haiti was challenged by teams with long-standing records, reputations, on its way to the championship, but Panama, China and the defending international world champions, Argentina, could not stop what seemed in retrospect, a charging locomotive.
 |
| Team Haiti [Reed Davis] |
The United States offered a very impressive defensive front, but it seemed a confused offensive attack, struck by an early goal, would culminate in an unraveling 6-2 defeat. Haiti became the Champions of the inaugural, POLOSF, Inc. and Audi Sportscar Experience International Polo Tournament in San Francisco that Sunday.
The impressive run of the Haitian squad now places it in the rankings of the world’s polo associations, opening the country for participation in tournaments throughout the world and year-round.
 |
| Team Haiti raises Championship trophy after defeating the United States 6-2 in the PoloSF and Audi Sportscar Experience International Tournament in San Francisco, CA [Reed Davis] |
 |
| Team Captain Claude-Alix Bertrand makes a victory lap with the Haitian flag after the defeat of the United States for the championship [Reed Davis] |
The early game on Sunday delivered the third place to Argentina which cruised easily over Panama 8-1. Entertainment and food capped of the tournament in an on the field event that ended at 11PM.
http://www.sentinel.ht/sports/articles/other/5619-haiti-raises-first-championship-trophy-in-polo-history#ixzz39VHxwQ00
lundi 4 août 2014
« GUERRE DU CHARBON DE BOIS »
La
guerre du charbon de bois est le titre d’une histoire que j’ai commencé à
raconter suite à une dépêche qui relatait l’assassinat de trois citoyens
haïtiens dans une section rurale de République Dominicaine. (http://www.wattpad.com/30218591-la-guerre-du-charbon-de-bois)
J’avais
en fait débuté la narration sans lui attribuer un vrai titre.
La
nouvelle a été frappante et carrément écœurante.
Selon
l’auteur de l’article, les trois citoyens auraient été tués par balles puis découpés
à la machette et jetés dans des fourneaux à charbons de bois, ce dispositif
fait de terre, de branchages, de feuilles vertes qui permet la combustion lente
, par pyrolyse, des troncs d’arbres pour
en extraire le charbon de bois.
D’après
l’article, ce savoir faire est du domaine exclusif des citoyens haïtiens qui en
sont de vrais experts.
Les
assassinats auraient donc été commandités et perpétrés par une « Mafia du
charbon » car ce produit serait devenu très lucratif parce que la
production du charbon en République dominicaine couvrirait 86% des besoins de la République d’Haïti.
Un
article lu cette semaine (http://www.almomento.net/articulo/168638/OPINION-%C2%BFSon-los-haitianos-los-autores-de-los-fuegos?)
retrace l’ampleur de la catastrophe et prédit une vraie tragédie.
Sans
prendre pour paroles d’évangile tout ce qui y est écrit, il faut quand même
prendre les dénonciations qui s’y trouvent avec un gros brin de sérieux.
Selon
l’auteur en 2013, furent extraits chaque semaine de la République Dominicaine
Les
arbres les plus utilisés seraient les « bayahondes » et « campeches » (Prosopis
Juliflora), (Haemtoxilun Campechae)
respectivement.
Les
situations de tension entre les deux
Républiques partageant l’île se créent et s’intensifient souvent pour des
causes beaucoup moins justifiées et des raisons beaucoup moins flagrantes que
cette crise à venir.
Pendant
des années, j’ai souvent entendu dire par des responsables haïtiens que l’on ne pouvait pas empêcher aux haïtiens
de couper et de brûler les arbres. Parce qu’on ne leur avait pas proposé
d’autres alternatives. Et que ce produit pour certains établissaient la
différence entre la vie et la mort.
Personne
n’avait non plus pris le temps de lancer une campagne d’éducation citoyenne
visant à protéger les arbres et arbustes qui existaient en montrant noir sur
blanc la nécessité vitale de changer certaines pratiques.
Comme
résultat, en 2007 on répétait que le pays ne possédait que 2% de couverture végétale.
Sans
parler des conséquences sur l’écosystème et les fléaux naturels qui en dérivent
et nous mettent en danger de façon permanente, aujourd’hui un autre spectre
hideux se dessine sur nous et sur les relations avec la République
Dominicaine.
Ceux
qui ont l’habitude de voyager en survolant l’île ont toujours noté cette
démarcation entre le territoire dominicain encore vert et le côté haïtien
complètement dénudé présentant les « dents de nos mornes ».
L’article
plus haut mentionné doit contenir une part de vérité.
Il
met l’accent sur le fait que des superficies sont brûlées par les haïtiens avec
la condescendance de certains citoyens dominicains pour en extraire le charbon
de bois.
Si
la vérité ne se déclame pas en ces termes on peut cependant se demander comment
font les haïtiens aujourd’hui pour se pourvoir en charbon de bois si depuis
2007 il ne restait que 2% de couverture végétale.
Le
charbon pourrait donc venir de la République
Dominicaine.
Les
dominicains auraient tort de rester les bras croisés et observer cette plaie
traverser la frontière, s’étendre et
s’abattre sur leur pays.
Un
jour ils voudront gérer ce problème et leurs solutions pourraient être
drastiques comme la construction d’un mur pour nous isoler comme prédateurs
malins et maléfiques. Ou qui sait, mener
une guerre...La guerre du charbon de bois !
Le
titre de mon prochain livre qui sortira quand j’aurai le temps !
Ce
texte ne répond pas à un besoin de sensationnalisme.
Il
ne prétend pas soulever seulement un problème ; mais il propose et évoque
la nécessité de trouver des solutions.
L’idée
m’est venue après une discussion avec un confrère qui se définit comme
écologiste.
En
dehors de nos rapports professionnels, je l’avais abordé sur la littérature
puis on a bifurqué vers Haïti.
Comme
bon écologiste il m’a soutiré des informations sur l’état de l’environnement
haïtien et on est tombé sur la problématique du charbon de bois.
C’est
lui qui a eu à me dire que l’on allait faire la guerre à cause du charbon de
bois alors qu’il existe d’autres alternatives en particulier la production
domestique de biogaz avec ses propres déchets !
Je
me suis donc rappelé que j’avais commencé à écrire une histoire autour des
assassinats mentionnés au début et le titre donc tomba comme un gant.
Mais
le plus important de cette rencontre avec le confrère c’est que depuis une
semaine je suis plongé dans la production domestique de biogaz, un projet à
développer en Haïti.
En
attendant j’écume les sites internet pour me renseigner et m’informer.
Docteur
Jonas JOLIVERT
04/08/2014
Borrowing from Hillary Clinton, Haiti Prime Minister raises profile
HAITIAs an ongoing political stalemate in Haiti fuels an electoral crisis, many are focusing attention on Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamonthe’s constant campaign-style stops.
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
JCHARLES@MIAMIHERALD.COM
PORT-AU-PRINCE -- For a man who says he’s not a presidential candidate, Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe is campaigning like one.
From visiting a remote central Haiti village with United Nations head Ban Ki-moon to stumping at a Haitian diaspora town hall in North Miami, Lamothe last week was everywhere a candidate needs to be — although the start of the 2015 Haitian presidential race is more than a year away.
“That is how prime ministers run,” said Robert Fatton, a University of Virginia politics professor and Haiti expert. “That is not a Haitian thing. This is politics.”
Lamothe, 41, the tech savvy businessman-turned-politician, insists that he’s not a candidate.
“This is part of my job; what I am doing as prime minister, it is to govern; it is to manage,” Lamothe said before joining more than a dozen flown-in members of his cabinet in front an overflow crowd for his televised town hall in North Miami. “I am prime minister today, and I am focusing on that.”
But Lamothe’s schedule reflects a Hillary Clinton-like method of raising a future candidate’s profile without officially announcing for office. And that is prompting concern and panic in Haiti where observers say the presidential posturing is intensifying a crisis prompted by legislative and local elections that are three years behind schedule.In order to run, Lamothe would need certification that he has not misused government funds. But the opposition-controlled Senate is unlikely to support giving him the décharge, leaving opponents and some supporters of President Michel Martelly to see delaying the Oct. 26 elections until next year as key. Martelly will rule by decree, practically guaranteeing that Lamothe will get the needed clearance. Opponents believe the delay would lead to Martelly’s downfall.
If the elections are not held, Haiti risks being thrust into chaos a decade after a U.N. Peacekeeping mission arrived to strengthen democracy, observers warn.
“I am particularly concerned that the political transition in Haiti will undergo regression,” Ban, the U.N. secretary general, warned last week at the end of an overnight visit. “Holding inclusive elections in October is essential for the continuity of parliament in 2015, and for the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law.”
With President Michel Martelly and the opposition still at logger heads over the delayed elections, analysts say the future doesn’t look bright for Haiti. Increasingly, October elections look impossible. And while a first-round in December remains do-able, there is growing fear the elections won’t take place until next fall alongside the presidential balloting.
That would leave Haiti with no lower chamber and just 10 out of 30 senators come the second Monday in January.
“That would be catastrophic for the country even if there are sectors who think it would work in their favor; a devastating political tsunami,” said Sauveur Pierre Etienne, national coordinator for the opposition Organization of People in Struggle (OPL), which has ended its boycott of the elections. “It feels as if the focus is no longer on the delayed local and legislative elections, but on the presidential elections.”
Fueling the political friction, say analysts, is Lamothe’s constant campaign-style stops that are generating suspicion and intrigue even among foreign diplomats about his presidential ambitions. One former prime minister, Jacques-Édouard Alexis, has even publicly called for “a common front” to stop Lamothe’s rise to the presidency, prompting push-back from Lamothe’s supporters.
“The prime minister is in an electoral campaign,” Etienne said, “and the political parties are panicking, other candidates are panicking.”
The major hurdle that elections supporters face is the lack of a law governing the election. Six senators have refused to support an amended law, saying they lack confidence in the nine-member provisional electoral council (CEP) that will have to oversee the balloting. Also, four of the largest opposition parties are boycotting the elections, saying they also have no confidence in the CEP.“We changed the CEP four times in order to organize this election; we went 28 steps already,” Lamothe said. “Unfortunately, not all the cards are with us.”
“Everybody knows we will not have elections this year,” opposition Senator Steven Benoit said, accusing Martelly and Lamothe of “pretending they want to have elections but of course they know very well, they are not going to have it.” Benoit is not among the senators refusing to amend the election law.
For his part, Martelly has yet to officially anoint his successor.
Still, the singer-turned-president who overshadowed Lamothe at the North Miami meeting by singing and swinging his waist on stage, has made several veiled references that lead watchers to believe Lamothe will get his blessing — although nothing is guaranteed.
“The way Martelly was talking, he clearly said at one point, ‘I will put my hand on the anointed candidate,’” Fatton said about the North Miami gathering. “Clearly that was an indication that he’s going to put his hand on Lamothe.”
Fatton believes reports of conflict between the two friends have been grossly exaggerated.
“I think there is an agreement there. He is the logical candidate,” Fatton said of Lamothe. “The guy has a wonderful PR machine. You go to all of the social media, he’s there. He’s all over the country traveling, inaugurating things without saying he’s running and obviously, without also saying anything bad about Martelly, and pushing Martelly as ‘The Man,’ and then he’s just in the background.”
Lamothe’s schedule provides a textbook case in running for president:
Monday: Lamothe shook hands and distributed free government food to the poor as he hosted Ban amid a gaggle of TV cameras.
Tuesday: Lamothe played table tennis with Ban and other diplomats as he helped to inaugurate an Olympics-financed sports complex.
Friday: In Miami, he glad-handed with Haitian Americans, pitched post-earthquake progress and attended a reception in his honor, where he took no questions.Saturday: Lamothe was center stage at a televised town hall in North Miami.
Sunday: He threw out the first pitch at a Miami Marlins game, much like any major U.S. candidate for office or cultural figure.
“There is no one else in the cabinet who is a serious candidate. If he says he’s a candidate now, they can attack him more. It’s very much like Hillary,” Fatton said. “He’s looking at the scenery; he’s using the position of prime minister to be prime minister but obviously also to be a candidate.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/24/4253634/borrowing-from-hillary-clinton.html#storylink=cpy
Emancipating the free: Haiti shines at the OAS
By Tiffany Barry
Tiffany Barry is the Social Change Coordinator at the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), based in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen passed by France’s National Constituent Assembly in 1789 is one of the cornerstone documents in the history of human rights. It is the philosophy of this document declaring in essence that all people are created free and equal and have the right to life, liberty, and free will which guided the Haitian revolutionaries as they held steadfast to this ideology which eventually led to the creation of the first black state in the Western hemisphere, Haiti, on January 1, 1804.
20131223diasporaIn the history of the Caribbean, Haiti has always been viewed as an inspiration and example, a leader despite its struggles, whose resilience as a nation and as a people continues to shine bright. Haiti continues to lead the way for its Caribbean counterparts as it prepares to host the 2015 General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) for the second time in 20 years. On June 25 of this year, Haiti also broke new ground, becoming the first Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state to sign the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and related forms of Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention against all forms of Discrimination, without any reservations.
The signing of these two conventions are monumental because Haiti has once again shown leadership in the pursuit of ensuring the protection of the human rights of all its citizens, and signalling to all other Caribbean states that they are prepared to address the issues which may be seen as taboo and to take a stand for what is right and just. The only other Caribbean country to have signed on to any of the conventions is Antigua and Barbuda which only signed the Inter-American Agreement against Racism, Racial Discrimination and related forms of Intolerance in 2013.
By acceding to both human rights treaties, Haiti is signalling that the state is committed to protecting the rights of all its citizens from violence and discrimination based on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, language, religion, cultural identity, political opinions, social origin, socio-economic status, educational level, disability, genetic trait, mental or physical health condition.
To date, no other Caribbean state has signed these conventions. Rather, some have all footnoted their reservations to the 2014 Resolution on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity and Expression” – a resolution which condemns all forms of discrimination, acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. This is because in these Caribbean states, there are still laws maintained from the colonial era that criminalise same-sex activities between consenting adults in private, and in the peculiar case of Guyana, cross-dressing.
Recognising that all persons are entitled to the protection of their human rights regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity is an important step in protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people from human rights violations, and allows the community to live with dignity, without fear of targeted violence and discrimination which oftentimes results in them becoming a marginalized, vulnerable and impoverished group. President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar recently indicated that his administration will not demonstrate leadership in the protection of its LGBT citizens by removing laws which criminalise them because the majority of its citizens are not “ready” to recognise the human rights of LGBTI Guyanese. But world history teaches us that people are often never ready for progressive change. The world was not prepared for the signing of the Declaration on the Rights of Man, yet it was signed; the majority of the British and American public were not in favour of the Emancipation Declaration, yet it was delivered.
The OAS has over the years taken measures to ensure that the rights of LGBTI citizens throughout the hemisphere are recognized and protected and that discussions pertaining to the development of the region do not exclude the region’s sexual and gender minorities. This year’s OAS General Assembly amply themed “Development with Social Inclusion” held in Asuncion, Paraguay, in June, was an ample opportunity for our Caribbean leaders to show leadership and to break away from many of the old ideologies imposed upon us during the colonial era by proving that they are committed to inclusive development – development of and for all people – which is not possible if all its citizens are not provided with an equal platform to contribute to the development of the Americas.
Instead, many foreign ministers while being open to discussing the issues affecting its LGBTI citizens, and acknowledging that they should not suffer discrimination, fell short of demonstrating leadership to ensure that these sentiments become a reality. The resolution on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity and Expression” requires member states to eliminate barriers to equal access for LGBT persons with regards to political participation and other areas of public life as well as eliminate interference in their private lives; adopt public policies against discrimination that help prevent violence against LGBTI persons and ensure equal judicial protections for the victims of violence motivated by sexual orientation and/or gender identity; research and publish statistics on violence motivated by homophobia and transphobia; ensure adequate protection for human rights defenders; and ensure adequate protection for intersex people and to implement policies and procedures, as appropriate, to ensure the conformity of medical practices with recognized human rights standards. The resolution was passed with a record number of reservations by some Caribbean states namely: Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Suriname.
The overarching sentiments for footnoting there reservations to this resolution were that the concepts of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are not understood within these Caribbean states and that these nations embrace, or are “consulting” on, punitive laws, which therefore prohibits their endorsement of the resolution which commits states to take actions against violence and discrimination.
Participating in this year’s General Assembly provided an opportunity for SASOD to engage Caribbean foreign ministers and ambassadors to the OAS on issues hindering the advancement of human rights protection for LGBTI persons. Many of them were quite open to dialogue; in fact, the Foreign Minister of St. Lucia made it a priority to speak with civil society representatives from her country working for the protection of LGBTI persons there. The Foreign Minister of Belize approached our Caribbean contingent and engaged us in an hour-long conversation about the struggles of the region to recognize LGBTI citizens as equal and deserving of recognition and protection. In fact he included two other dignitaries from the Belizean delegation in the conversation to show that they are open to discussing the LGBTI issues. I was unable to engage the Guyanese delegation in any formal discussion. Guyana is pushing for Ambassador Bayney Karran to become OAS Assistant Secretary General when the post becomes vacant next year. But he is up against another Caribbean contender, Belize’s US Ambassador, Nestor Menez. LGBTI issues have become very prominent on the OAS agenda in the last seven years with annual resolutions on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” being passed by the General Assembly since 2008. This year, Commissioner Tracy Robinson from Jamaica, who is also the Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI Persons, became the Chair of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. It would also be smart foreign policy for Guyana to be more open to dialogue on meaningful support – not just lip service – to LGBTI issues, both at home and at the OAS.
Today, political leaders of so-called independent states in the Caribbean continue to hold steadfast to some laws imposed upon us under colonialism. This contradiction begs several questions: Why are the minds of supposedly free people still being controlled by colonial ideology? Why are they so afraid to extend the fundamental principles that our foreparents fought so hard for to all our citizens? The time has come for all free men and women to release the shackles of mental slavery and to realize that as a region we will not develop fully if we keep excluding sections of our populations. The enjoyment of civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights should be extended to all Caribbean citizens, including sexual and gender minorities.
Guyanese President Ramotar also stated that he does not discriminate against persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Other government ministers have also publicly expressed similar sentiments. However, the reason they are in office is to lead. They have an important role to play in creating, amending and repealing laws. Good, people-centred laws are created to protect citizens and promote equality. Why then is it so difficult to create laws that protect our LGBTI citizens? It is one thing to say “I am not homophobic” but it takes more than words to make this meaningful for LGBTI Guyanese. As the saying goes, talk is cheap.
As Guyana and the rest of the region begin to engage in post 2015 discussions as the way forward from the soon to be expired Millennium Development Goals in 2015, it should be noted that all talks about sustainable development will have to deal with how we include all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and other grounds. The 2014 OAS General Assembly on “Development with Social Inclusion” was clear that the region needs to adopt a rights-based approach to development. We cannot speak about eradicating poverty and promoting economic and social development if we continue to oppress segments of our population. By doing this we are demonstrating an unequal approach to poverty reduction and development. Moreover, in order to ensure the equal distribution of socio-economic development, we have to address causes of inequality, discrimination, violence and poverty. A good place to start is to address laws, policies and practices, which are discriminatory, and lead to the marginalization of our minority groups.
If we are free people capable of independent, rational thought, we would realize that holding on to oppressive laws and practices are counterproductive to our development. It is time for free people to emancipate our minds and reject all forms of oppression. This is what Haiti is doing by adopting the most inclusive human rights treaties, and ending institutional discrimination in law and policy.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/features/in-the-diaspora/08/04/emancipating-free-haiti-shines-oas/
Tiffany Barry is the Social Change Coordinator at the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), based in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen passed by France’s National Constituent Assembly in 1789 is one of the cornerstone documents in the history of human rights. It is the philosophy of this document declaring in essence that all people are created free and equal and have the right to life, liberty, and free will which guided the Haitian revolutionaries as they held steadfast to this ideology which eventually led to the creation of the first black state in the Western hemisphere, Haiti, on January 1, 1804.
20131223diasporaIn the history of the Caribbean, Haiti has always been viewed as an inspiration and example, a leader despite its struggles, whose resilience as a nation and as a people continues to shine bright. Haiti continues to lead the way for its Caribbean counterparts as it prepares to host the 2015 General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) for the second time in 20 years. On June 25 of this year, Haiti also broke new ground, becoming the first Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state to sign the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and related forms of Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention against all forms of Discrimination, without any reservations.
The signing of these two conventions are monumental because Haiti has once again shown leadership in the pursuit of ensuring the protection of the human rights of all its citizens, and signalling to all other Caribbean states that they are prepared to address the issues which may be seen as taboo and to take a stand for what is right and just. The only other Caribbean country to have signed on to any of the conventions is Antigua and Barbuda which only signed the Inter-American Agreement against Racism, Racial Discrimination and related forms of Intolerance in 2013.
By acceding to both human rights treaties, Haiti is signalling that the state is committed to protecting the rights of all its citizens from violence and discrimination based on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, language, religion, cultural identity, political opinions, social origin, socio-economic status, educational level, disability, genetic trait, mental or physical health condition.
To date, no other Caribbean state has signed these conventions. Rather, some have all footnoted their reservations to the 2014 Resolution on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity and Expression” – a resolution which condemns all forms of discrimination, acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. This is because in these Caribbean states, there are still laws maintained from the colonial era that criminalise same-sex activities between consenting adults in private, and in the peculiar case of Guyana, cross-dressing.
Recognising that all persons are entitled to the protection of their human rights regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity is an important step in protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people from human rights violations, and allows the community to live with dignity, without fear of targeted violence and discrimination which oftentimes results in them becoming a marginalized, vulnerable and impoverished group. President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar recently indicated that his administration will not demonstrate leadership in the protection of its LGBT citizens by removing laws which criminalise them because the majority of its citizens are not “ready” to recognise the human rights of LGBTI Guyanese. But world history teaches us that people are often never ready for progressive change. The world was not prepared for the signing of the Declaration on the Rights of Man, yet it was signed; the majority of the British and American public were not in favour of the Emancipation Declaration, yet it was delivered.
The OAS has over the years taken measures to ensure that the rights of LGBTI citizens throughout the hemisphere are recognized and protected and that discussions pertaining to the development of the region do not exclude the region’s sexual and gender minorities. This year’s OAS General Assembly amply themed “Development with Social Inclusion” held in Asuncion, Paraguay, in June, was an ample opportunity for our Caribbean leaders to show leadership and to break away from many of the old ideologies imposed upon us during the colonial era by proving that they are committed to inclusive development – development of and for all people – which is not possible if all its citizens are not provided with an equal platform to contribute to the development of the Americas.
Instead, many foreign ministers while being open to discussing the issues affecting its LGBTI citizens, and acknowledging that they should not suffer discrimination, fell short of demonstrating leadership to ensure that these sentiments become a reality. The resolution on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity and Expression” requires member states to eliminate barriers to equal access for LGBT persons with regards to political participation and other areas of public life as well as eliminate interference in their private lives; adopt public policies against discrimination that help prevent violence against LGBTI persons and ensure equal judicial protections for the victims of violence motivated by sexual orientation and/or gender identity; research and publish statistics on violence motivated by homophobia and transphobia; ensure adequate protection for human rights defenders; and ensure adequate protection for intersex people and to implement policies and procedures, as appropriate, to ensure the conformity of medical practices with recognized human rights standards. The resolution was passed with a record number of reservations by some Caribbean states namely: Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Suriname.
The overarching sentiments for footnoting there reservations to this resolution were that the concepts of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are not understood within these Caribbean states and that these nations embrace, or are “consulting” on, punitive laws, which therefore prohibits their endorsement of the resolution which commits states to take actions against violence and discrimination.
Participating in this year’s General Assembly provided an opportunity for SASOD to engage Caribbean foreign ministers and ambassadors to the OAS on issues hindering the advancement of human rights protection for LGBTI persons. Many of them were quite open to dialogue; in fact, the Foreign Minister of St. Lucia made it a priority to speak with civil society representatives from her country working for the protection of LGBTI persons there. The Foreign Minister of Belize approached our Caribbean contingent and engaged us in an hour-long conversation about the struggles of the region to recognize LGBTI citizens as equal and deserving of recognition and protection. In fact he included two other dignitaries from the Belizean delegation in the conversation to show that they are open to discussing the LGBTI issues. I was unable to engage the Guyanese delegation in any formal discussion. Guyana is pushing for Ambassador Bayney Karran to become OAS Assistant Secretary General when the post becomes vacant next year. But he is up against another Caribbean contender, Belize’s US Ambassador, Nestor Menez. LGBTI issues have become very prominent on the OAS agenda in the last seven years with annual resolutions on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” being passed by the General Assembly since 2008. This year, Commissioner Tracy Robinson from Jamaica, who is also the Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI Persons, became the Chair of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. It would also be smart foreign policy for Guyana to be more open to dialogue on meaningful support – not just lip service – to LGBTI issues, both at home and at the OAS.
Today, political leaders of so-called independent states in the Caribbean continue to hold steadfast to some laws imposed upon us under colonialism. This contradiction begs several questions: Why are the minds of supposedly free people still being controlled by colonial ideology? Why are they so afraid to extend the fundamental principles that our foreparents fought so hard for to all our citizens? The time has come for all free men and women to release the shackles of mental slavery and to realize that as a region we will not develop fully if we keep excluding sections of our populations. The enjoyment of civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights should be extended to all Caribbean citizens, including sexual and gender minorities.
Guyanese President Ramotar also stated that he does not discriminate against persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Other government ministers have also publicly expressed similar sentiments. However, the reason they are in office is to lead. They have an important role to play in creating, amending and repealing laws. Good, people-centred laws are created to protect citizens and promote equality. Why then is it so difficult to create laws that protect our LGBTI citizens? It is one thing to say “I am not homophobic” but it takes more than words to make this meaningful for LGBTI Guyanese. As the saying goes, talk is cheap.
As Guyana and the rest of the region begin to engage in post 2015 discussions as the way forward from the soon to be expired Millennium Development Goals in 2015, it should be noted that all talks about sustainable development will have to deal with how we include all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and other grounds. The 2014 OAS General Assembly on “Development with Social Inclusion” was clear that the region needs to adopt a rights-based approach to development. We cannot speak about eradicating poverty and promoting economic and social development if we continue to oppress segments of our population. By doing this we are demonstrating an unequal approach to poverty reduction and development. Moreover, in order to ensure the equal distribution of socio-economic development, we have to address causes of inequality, discrimination, violence and poverty. A good place to start is to address laws, policies and practices, which are discriminatory, and lead to the marginalization of our minority groups.
If we are free people capable of independent, rational thought, we would realize that holding on to oppressive laws and practices are counterproductive to our development. It is time for free people to emancipate our minds and reject all forms of oppression. This is what Haiti is doing by adopting the most inclusive human rights treaties, and ending institutional discrimination in law and policy.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/features/in-the-diaspora/08/04/emancipating-free-haiti-shines-oas/
Auction To Benefit Haiti Project
 |
| Msgr. Andre Pierre visits with Dave and Cathy Voxland in front of the Haiti auction display at St. George Catholic Church. |
Several churches and organizations found ways to reach out to residents in the Caribbean nation. Members of St. George Catholic Church have been contributing toward ministry in Haiti since before the earthquake, and an upcoming auction will help those still struggling in the island nation.
The Project Haiti ministry at St. George’s is sponsoring a fundraiser – including auctions and raffles – on Friday. Activities will start at 7 p.m. at the church on Roscoe Road. The silent auction of items displayed on tables will close beginning at 9 p.m.
Tickets are $5 and include hors d'oeuvres and draft beer. The event is for adults aged 21 and over.
The Project Haiti ministry at St. George’s was established in 2008. “The project primarily funds Catholic parishes in northern Haiti, in LaBruyere and LaLomas,” said Jim Stagg, a member at St. George’s.
“For example, Project Haiti completed building a new school at the LaBruyere parish, among other construction. Project Haiti also provides funding to pay teachers at both locations, which currently enables the education of more than 3,000 students, including those who are not Catholic,” he explained.
While these parishes are about six hours’ travel by road from the earthquake center near Port-au-Prince, they were stressed to accommodate refugees from the disaster area, including workers originally from LaBruyere and LaLomas. Injured Haitians were also transported to the region.
“Some refugees were served by the medical clinic at the parish, which serves all people in this impoverished village. Project Haiti has now provided a potable water supply and solar electric power for the complex, including the medical center,” Stagg said.
In addition, medical equipment was purchased by the St. George Knights of Columbus Council 662i.
Monsignor Andre Pierre of Haiti visited Newnan in early July. Pierre studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem on a scholarship and was later assigned to a project in Washington, D.C. for several years.
Pierre has spent most of his life in Haiti. He is former secretary of the Haitian Bishops Conference and president of the Catholic University of Notre Dame of Haiti based in Port-au-Prince.
He took part in several services at St. George’s and was invited to speak at an Atlanta medical school to resident doctors concerning potential cooperation with the School of Medicine at Notre Dame University.
“At the weekend Masses, Monsignor Pierre praised the massive effort mounted by countries, organizations and churches to aid the stricken Haitians after the disastrous earthquake,” Stagg said.
On the morning of the earthquake in Haiti, Pierre was called to a meeting with the archbishop and the vicar general of Port-au-Prince Diocese.
Just as he was to enter the building, Pierre was delayed for only a few minutes by someone who rushed up to wish him “Happy New Year” and asked for his blessing.
“Then, just as he entered the residence, the earthquake struck,” Stagg related. “The vicar general was killed awaiting him in the conference room, and Monsignor Pierre found himself buried in rubble, but able to dig himself out,” Stagg said.
Pierre told the congregation he had the thought that “God was not ready to see me yet.”
He immediately went to work – helping and directing recovery efforts.
As an educator, Pierre praised those who support increased educational opportunities for Haitians. The monsignor said he was particularly struck by a quotation from Ellis Arnall, Coweta native and onetime Georgia governor, “Education is the hope of the future. It is the salvation of our people.”
Thinking back to the earthquake, Pierre praised the rapid response of churches like St. George’s, which already had a Haitian presence.
For more information on the fundraiser, call 770-328-0498 or visit www.st-george-haiti-ministry.com.
http://www.times-herald.com/local/20140803SUNDAYhaiti-auction-fundraiser-st-george
jeudi 31 juillet 2014
Btc Eyes Haiti Mobile Market
By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is still aiming to enter Haiti’s cellular market, its chief executive confirmed yesterday, arguing that the carrier would effectively be “dead in the water” if it did not expand outside this jurisdiction.
Speaking at a private sector luncheon to host Haitian president Michel Martelly, Leon Williams said that with new players expected to provide competition in the Bahamian cellular market by either 2015 or 2016, the company would have to grow outside the Bahamas.
Mr Williams said Haiti represented that opportunity, as BTC has already extended an under-sea fibre optic cable to that country. “In 2005 we negotiated building the fibre submarine cable into Haiti. We had looked at working with the government of Haiti,” he explained.
“We had made an offer to work with Teleco de Haiti and looked at the possibility of a GSM license, and and an ISP (Internet) license and a cable license. We didn’t capitalise on it and there was a changing of administrations in 2007, and so nothing happened with Haiti.
“We still have the cable there, it’s working, it’s underutilised and certainly BTC would like to go back into Haiti and see what the possibilities are.” Mr Williams. added: “Since we didn’t take the opportunity, Digicel went in. Digicel has 3.5 million customers in Haiti compared to a Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), which has 1.3 million in the entire Caribbean.
“I don’t have to tell you that Haiti is Digicel’s number one money earner, and compared to what they take out of Haiti to what BTC’s total package is in the Bahamas, it is almost two to three times as much.”
Some observers will argue that BTC has already ‘missed the boat’ on Haiti, and that it and its controlling shareholders would be better off first focusing on preparing it to fight off cellular competition on its home turf in the Bahamas. It is also unclear whether entering Haiti would fit with CWC’s plans.
Mr Williams said that while BTC has remained competitive as the dominant monopoly carrier for cellular services, it has its share of challenges ahead.
The challenge for BTC is it is the dominant monopoly carrier of cellular in the Bahamas. We have always been in competition for the Internet services,” he said. Cable Bahamas launched Internet services long before us, so we were playing catch up. SRG, which was acquired by Cable Bahamas, actually is competing with us. We are being competitive in the fixed-line, in data and competitive in Internet services.
Cable has television that we don’t have, and so if they were to get a mobile licence they would have quad play; we would have triple play. BTC certainly has some challenges in front of it.”
Mr Williams added: “The Bahamas is 350,000 people. There will be a new player in the market come 2015, and a third player in the market come 2016. The pie is just so much, and all you are doing is dicing it up into smaller quarters.
BTC has to extend outside the Bahamas and grow the market someplace else for top-line revenues or we are dead in the water. It’s not rocket science Some people may argue that I’m pressing the panic button, but it’s reality. Normally the rule of thumb is that a new entrant will take 33 per cent of the cellular customers; that’s 100,000.
BTC has to do something to be able to win the hearts and minds of the Bahamian people. It has to do something to win the market share. No one is going to come here to make an investment in cellular service without making a return on their investment.”
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2014/jul/30/btc-eyes-haiti-mobile-market/
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is still aiming to enter Haiti’s cellular market, its chief executive confirmed yesterday, arguing that the carrier would effectively be “dead in the water” if it did not expand outside this jurisdiction.
Speaking at a private sector luncheon to host Haitian president Michel Martelly, Leon Williams said that with new players expected to provide competition in the Bahamian cellular market by either 2015 or 2016, the company would have to grow outside the Bahamas.
Mr Williams said Haiti represented that opportunity, as BTC has already extended an under-sea fibre optic cable to that country. “In 2005 we negotiated building the fibre submarine cable into Haiti. We had looked at working with the government of Haiti,” he explained.
“We had made an offer to work with Teleco de Haiti and looked at the possibility of a GSM license, and and an ISP (Internet) license and a cable license. We didn’t capitalise on it and there was a changing of administrations in 2007, and so nothing happened with Haiti.
“We still have the cable there, it’s working, it’s underutilised and certainly BTC would like to go back into Haiti and see what the possibilities are.” Mr Williams. added: “Since we didn’t take the opportunity, Digicel went in. Digicel has 3.5 million customers in Haiti compared to a Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), which has 1.3 million in the entire Caribbean.
“I don’t have to tell you that Haiti is Digicel’s number one money earner, and compared to what they take out of Haiti to what BTC’s total package is in the Bahamas, it is almost two to three times as much.”
Some observers will argue that BTC has already ‘missed the boat’ on Haiti, and that it and its controlling shareholders would be better off first focusing on preparing it to fight off cellular competition on its home turf in the Bahamas. It is also unclear whether entering Haiti would fit with CWC’s plans.
Mr Williams said that while BTC has remained competitive as the dominant monopoly carrier for cellular services, it has its share of challenges ahead.
The challenge for BTC is it is the dominant monopoly carrier of cellular in the Bahamas. We have always been in competition for the Internet services,” he said. Cable Bahamas launched Internet services long before us, so we were playing catch up. SRG, which was acquired by Cable Bahamas, actually is competing with us. We are being competitive in the fixed-line, in data and competitive in Internet services.
Cable has television that we don’t have, and so if they were to get a mobile licence they would have quad play; we would have triple play. BTC certainly has some challenges in front of it.”
Mr Williams added: “The Bahamas is 350,000 people. There will be a new player in the market come 2015, and a third player in the market come 2016. The pie is just so much, and all you are doing is dicing it up into smaller quarters.
BTC has to extend outside the Bahamas and grow the market someplace else for top-line revenues or we are dead in the water. It’s not rocket science Some people may argue that I’m pressing the panic button, but it’s reality. Normally the rule of thumb is that a new entrant will take 33 per cent of the cellular customers; that’s 100,000.
BTC has to do something to be able to win the hearts and minds of the Bahamian people. It has to do something to win the market share. No one is going to come here to make an investment in cellular service without making a return on their investment.”
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2014/jul/30/btc-eyes-haiti-mobile-market/
Haiti, a Destination Only for the Brave Ones
By Athena Yenko | July 31, 2014 10:29 AM EST
Haiti is swiftly becoming the favourite destination among the brave and more adventurous type of travellers.
The country had just opened its first tourism office after disasters and political unrest that plagued the country for years.
Haiti, for the meantime, is still "a place where only true travellers go; a place forthe brave and the curious," G Adventures description of the place reads. According to G Adventures' Australia and New Zealand boss, Belinda Ward, the very first small group touring in February is comprised primarily of many Australians and New Zealanders.
Ward said that Haiti has the most positivepeople who are working to move on from the tragedy that hit the country back in 2010. Haiti has world-class art and culture, real-time history and stunning beaches.
"All our suppliers are locally-based which means our travellers can return home knowing their money will stay in the country and they have been a force for good," Ward was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.
However, Australians are still being advised to observe all necessary precautions if they decided to traveller to Haiti.
The Australian government would want Aussies to reconsider their need for travel to Haiti because of unpredictable security situation and high levels of violent crime.
Those who are decided to travel the country should exercise extreme caution to avoid all demonstrations and protests as they may turn violent. It is highly advisable to monitor the local media for safety and security updates.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), there were reported cases of kidnappings and other violent crimes done to volunteers in the country.
DFAT is highly emphasising that there is an ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti which has been active since 2010. The disease had claimed thousands of lives in the department of Sud Est and Port-au-Prince.
"We strongly advise Australians who are considering going to Haiti to undertake volunteer work to ensure they have made appropriate arrangements for placement prior to arrival in Haiti. Finding a placement with a charity in Haiti on arrival is usually not possible," DFAT said in a statement.
Furthermore, June to November is Haiti's hurricane season and landslides, mudslides, flooding and disruptions to essential services may occur.
Nonetheless, for those who want to brave the country, they will have the chance to enjoy a rugged place of waterfalls, secret caves, and mountains that scrape the sky, G Adventures described.
"It's a place of bold flavours, intoxicating music, mischievous gods, and colourful art; where the only thing stronger than the rum is the spirit of the people who live there."
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.com
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/561191/20140731/haiti-destination-g-adventures.htm#.U9oF9OPV9Vs
Haiti is swiftly becoming the favourite destination among the brave and more adventurous type of travellers.
The country had just opened its first tourism office after disasters and political unrest that plagued the country for years.
Haiti, for the meantime, is still "a place where only true travellers go; a place forthe brave and the curious," G Adventures description of the place reads. According to G Adventures' Australia and New Zealand boss, Belinda Ward, the very first small group touring in February is comprised primarily of many Australians and New Zealanders.
Ward said that Haiti has the most positivepeople who are working to move on from the tragedy that hit the country back in 2010. Haiti has world-class art and culture, real-time history and stunning beaches.
"All our suppliers are locally-based which means our travellers can return home knowing their money will stay in the country and they have been a force for good," Ward was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.
However, Australians are still being advised to observe all necessary precautions if they decided to traveller to Haiti.
The Australian government would want Aussies to reconsider their need for travel to Haiti because of unpredictable security situation and high levels of violent crime.
Those who are decided to travel the country should exercise extreme caution to avoid all demonstrations and protests as they may turn violent. It is highly advisable to monitor the local media for safety and security updates.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), there were reported cases of kidnappings and other violent crimes done to volunteers in the country.
DFAT is highly emphasising that there is an ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti which has been active since 2010. The disease had claimed thousands of lives in the department of Sud Est and Port-au-Prince.
"We strongly advise Australians who are considering going to Haiti to undertake volunteer work to ensure they have made appropriate arrangements for placement prior to arrival in Haiti. Finding a placement with a charity in Haiti on arrival is usually not possible," DFAT said in a statement.
Furthermore, June to November is Haiti's hurricane season and landslides, mudslides, flooding and disruptions to essential services may occur.
Nonetheless, for those who want to brave the country, they will have the chance to enjoy a rugged place of waterfalls, secret caves, and mountains that scrape the sky, G Adventures described.
"It's a place of bold flavours, intoxicating music, mischievous gods, and colourful art; where the only thing stronger than the rum is the spirit of the people who live there."
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.com
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/561191/20140731/haiti-destination-g-adventures.htm#.U9oF9OPV9Vs
mercredi 30 juillet 2014
Haiti tipped as the next hot destination on the rise
ESCAPEJULY 30, 2014 12:00AM
IT’S got bright blue waterfalls, white sand beaches, incredible caves, a World Heritage listed historic site and a vibrant, artistic culture.
Welcome to a country that’s being touted as one of the world’s next hot destinations on the rise: Haiti.
The official Australian Government advice for Haiti remains to “reconsider your need to travel”, with those who choose to visit urged to “exercise extreme caution”.
But the country has just opened its first tourism office, and now tour operators are offering Haiti trips for those who want to beat the anticipated tourist boom.
For now, it’s still “a place where only true travellers go; a place for the brave and the curious,” according to the brochure for G Adventures, which has scheduled five trips to Haiti next year.G Adventures’ first small group tour runs in February, and Aussies are tipped to be among the first to visit.
“We know that there will be many Australian and New Zealand travellers who will jump at the opportunity to visit Haiti,” G Adventures’ Australia and New Zealand boss, Belinda Ward, said.
“Haiti is a country full of amazing people who are really looking to move on from the tragedy in 2010.
“We are proud to be offering our travellers the opportunity to not only meet the people of Haiti but also experience their world-class art and culture, real-time history and stunning beaches.“Bringing travellers to Haiti to experience this culture and spend locally will help Haiti to fully recover.
“All our suppliers are locally-based which means our travellers can return home knowing their money will stay in the country and they have been a force for good.”
The G Adventures 10-day Highlights of Haiti trip is priced from $2499, excluding flights.For the latest government travel advice and warnings visit the Smartraveller website.
Six things to do and see in Haiti
• Visit the Citadelle Laferriere, a UNESCO-designated mountaintop fortress.
• Learn all about rum at a local distillery and try making the local kasav flat bread.
• Meet a voodoo priest and shop for voodoo artefacts at the Iron Market.
• See local artist communities make famous mosaics.
• Visit the turquoise Bassin-Bleu pools to cliff-dive and swim.
• Explore the Marie-Jeanne cave’s underground landscapes and massive caverns.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/haiti-tipped-as-the-next-hot-destination-on-the-rise/story-e6frg6n6-1227006278421?nk=3ba1df786f81965a3ebdad1d66025f8a •
La colonia haitiana en Costa Rica: unión y sobrevivencia
 |
CR1 : Alexander Luxama sostiene de buena gana
la bandera de Haití
. Él es hijo de Ilka Luxama, un haitiano que llegó al país
hace nueve años
y que junto a su esposa, también inmigrante de la nación
caribeña,
espera el nacimiento en unos cuantos meses de un nuevo hijo
costarricense .(GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
- ACTUALIZADO EL 27 DE JULIO DE 2014 A: 12:03 A.M.
San José, alrededores del Barrio Chino, Domingo 7:00 pm.
 |
CR 5 : San José, alrededores del
barrio chino, domingo 7 p. m.
Un bus proporcionado por la iglesia se estaciona
en calle 7,
para transportar a los haitianos hasta López Mateos,
al sur de la
capital, lugar de su congregación. .
(GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
 |
CR 5 : San José, alrededores del
barrio chino, domingo 7 p. m.
Un bus proporcionado por la iglesia se estaciona
en calle 7,
para transportar a los haitianos hasta López Mateos, al sur de la
capital,
lugar de su congregación. . (GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
 |
Todos los domingos en la noche, un grupo
de haitianos
asiste al culto de la iglesia Comunidad Cristiana de Adoración y
Júbilo. (GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
A partir de esta actividad se iniciaron las reuniones de evangelización semanales. Igualmente, se utilizó un rotulo en Creole, (su lengua natal) en el sitio en donde los haitianos usualmente se proveían las papas y otros productos que venden en la calle, para anunciar los cultos que se desarrollan hasta el día de hoy, todos los domingos al caer la noche.
 |
Todos los domingos en la noche, un grupo
de haitianos asiste
al culto de la iglesia Comunidad Cristiana de Adoración y
Júbilo.
(GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
Según datos de Migración del año 2013, se registraron 404 movimientos migratorios de parte de los haitianos, sin embargo entre la comunidad se cree que existe un grupo de al menos 150 personas, que en su mayoría no piensan establecerse en el país porque su visión de Costa Rica es la de un puente que los lleve a una calidad de vida mejor, y que les permita superarse para tener los medios económicos para emigrar hacia los Estados Unidos, cuenta Aneus Ives, quien llego a territorio nacional hace ocho años con la idea de que Costa Rica era un país rico.
 |
Todos los domingos en la noche, un grupo
de haitianos asiste
al culto de la iglesia Comunidad Cristiana de Adoración y
Júbilo.
(GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
“Pensaba que Costa Rica era un país como los Estados Unidos, o Canadá donde hay dinero. Pero cuando llegue aquí la situación fue diferente, aunque es mejor económicamente que mi país, no es un país como pensábamos, como yo personalmente pensé”, Aneus Ives, haitiano que reside en Costa Rica.
“Pensaba que Costa Rica era un país como los Estados Unidos, o Canadá donde hay dinero. Pero cuando llegue aquí la situación fue diferente, aunque es mejor económicamente que mi país, no es un país como pensábamos, como yo personalmente pensé”.
 |
Maxi labora en una de distribuidora de
alimentos que es
propiedad de haitianos, en el centro de San José.
Algunos de
sus compatriotas han logrado consolidarse
como comerciantes, dueños de sus
propios establecimientos.
(GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
 |
CR4 Muchos haitianos
trabajan en los alrededores del
parque de las Garantias Sociales, en San José,
vendiendo
diversidad de productos comestibles para sobrevivir.
A pesar de ser
un “trabajo honrado”, la mayoría se avergüenza
de esta labor, pues sus
expectativas laborales en suelo tico eran otras.
La barrera del idioma incide
en que no puedan desempeñar
acá el oficio que aprendieron en su tierra natal.
(GABRIELA TÉLLEZ)
|
 |
Cr9: Durante el servicio
religioso, a los niños menores de 10 años
se los entretiene con actividades
recreativas y una enseñanza bíblica.
y les brinda un refrigerio al
final de la sesión.
|
http://www.nacion.com/mundo/colonia_haitiana-migracion-inmigracion-fotografia_0_1429057191.html
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